


Volatile Motives

by homocatss



Category: Volatile Motives: Calin
Genre: #death #blood #war #gore #drowning #manipulation #trauma #violence, F/F, F/M, M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-09-28
Updated: 2018-09-30
Packaged: 2019-07-18 16:42:46
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 2
Words: 1,957
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16122608
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/homocatss/pseuds/homocatss
Summary: She remembered with fear the menacing look in his eyes as he lied to her face.





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> Character refrences will be available soon!

The setting sun blazed between the trees, giving the forest a golden glow. The ferns shivered, and a pale silver molly with soft purple eyes stepped out, eyes wide and alert. She jumped at the sound of leaves crunching, then relaxed when she saw a skinny, dark gray tabby weaving through the vegetation towards her like a snake. “Have you caught anything yet?” He hissed, his piercing green eyes flashing angrily as he studied her. The molly shook her head. “Not yet.” Her eyes grew round with nervousness. “I scented a fox by the hickory tree not far from our den. It's fresh, too.” She gestured to her plump belly with a flick of her tail. “Our kits will be due in half a moon, Thoros.” She stepped forward and pressed her head to his chest. “We need to move somewhere else. Someplace safe.” “No.” Thoros growled, moving away from her. “I'll handle it.” His gaze grew distant as he stared into the trees. “Go back to the hollow tree, Lily.” Lily watched in dismay as he broke into a run and vanished into the bracken. She sighed, and headed back to the glade where she and Thoros had settled down a few seasons ago. She dipped her head gratefully to the life of the mouse she had caught on her way back, then ate it in a few heartbeats, stifling a groan as her stomach grumbled loudly. She looked down at her plump belly, and licked the fur softly, purring. The grass swished, and Thoros staggered into the den. His eyes were glazed, and his pelt was soaked in… Lily let out a horrified gasp. “Is that blood?” Thoros nodded stiffly without meeting her gaze. She sniffed him anxiously all over, searching for wounds. But his pelt was sleek, and untouched. A dreadful chill shot up her spine. She turned toward her mate, mouth dry. “Who's…who’s blood is this..?” Thoros lifted a forepaw and started washing the blood off of it. “Why does it matter?” He sounded unreasonably furious. “If you're really so interested, I killed the fox. Now your kits are safe.” But Lily knew he wasn't telling the truth. Her nose twitched. She scented cat blood. Why was he lying to her? She looked him squarely in the eyes. “Thoros, what happened?” She demanded. Thoros glanced at her, eyes dark. “Some annoying molly. Was wailing about how she was lost and scaring all the prey away. I only chased her off.” He flexed bloodstained claws with orange tufts of fur snagged in between them. Lily could hardly believe what she was hearing and seeing. “Then why are you covered in blood?” She didn't want to believe it. Her mate wasn’t a murderer. But a feeling of dread was making her fur bristle. Thoros didn't answer, and went back to cleaning himself. Lily shot from the hollow tree and charged through the woods. The strong scent of blood immediately hit her throat, and she continued to follow the trail. It led down a rocky slope and around a bramble thicket. The blood scent was strongest here. It choked her, and she struggled to breathe. As she rounded the brambles, she saw the bloody tufts of orange fur that she had seen in Thoros’ claws caught on the thorns and littering the forest floor. She stopped, fur bushing, and shrieked. An orange tabby molly was laying on her side on the ground. Her pelt was shredded, and her neck was ripped open. Under the suffocating reek of blood, she detected Thoros’s scent. Lily wanted to look away and run, but her paws were rooted to the ground. Her suspicions were right. He mate was a murderer. He didn't chase her off. He killed her. She remembered with fear the menacing look in his eyes as he lied to her face. She never knew he would ever be capable of such a thing as this. She crouched down at the molly’s side. Tears began to drip down from her face. “I'm sorry.” She whispered. “I'm so sorry he did this to you.” She stood up and looked around frantically. She had to leave. She knew if she stayed, she was going to be next. But she couldn't just leave the poor tabby to rot out in the open for the foxes. She scraped away the leaf litter, and threw up pawfuls of soil behind her, creating a dip in the earth. As she was digging out the grave, a weak mew startled her. She looked down. The orange tabby was alive, but just barely. Agony flickered in her eyes, and each breath she took looked painful. “Please...h...elp...me…” She rasped. Lily immediately started licking her fiercely. Please live. I’m going to save you, I swear. Just hang on. The molly started hacking, blood dribbling from her mouth. No! Lily was hyperventilating now. She scanned the trees for cobwebs, and her heart quickened momentarily with relief when she spotted some on a hemlock tree. She dashed over to it, sliced it off the furry branches with her claws, and brought it back to the orange tabby molly. They had stopped moving now, and when Lily touched her paw to their flank, it was cold. Anger and grief surged through her like a raging river. She bit her lip hard to keep herself from screeching, and rolled her body into the hole she had prepared. It fell with a sickening thud, and Lily flinched. She covered it until it was a small mound, then closed her eyes and sat vigil for a few heartbeats. There was no time. Hopefully the molly would forgive her for leaving her. She had to leave. If Thoros was able to do such an atrocious thing to an innocent stranger, who knows what he’d do to her, the mother of their kits, later on? Lily wasn’t about to stay to find out. Looking over her shoulder and gazing at the woods one last time, she turned and pelted away, running as far, and as fast, as her legs would take her.


	2. Chapter 1

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> He wanted to be like that when he grew up.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Character references will be available soon!

Chapter 1

Calin moved slowly, keeping his haunches and tail low. In front of him, a butterfly fluttered its wings as it pollinated a tulip. He bunched his tiny muscles, ears flicking excitedly as he moved closer. Just a little farther… He leaped. Before he landed on it, it fluttered just out of his reach. It danced above his nose, and Calin squeaked indignantly as it whisked past him. He chased after it, reaching up on his hind legs and swatting at it. He stumbled, and landed clumsily on his chin. “Oof!” He jumped back up, rubbing his sore chin with a paw, and jumped at it again. This time, his paw smacked it, and it fell onto the ground. He pounced on it, and picked it up by the wings in his teeth. He carried it to his mom. She was fluffing up the moss lining their nest, and adding dove feathers to it. She turned to him when he trotted up to her. He dropped it at her paws. “Mama, mama!” He bounced up and down. “My first prey!” His mother's eyes softened with love as she examined the butterfly. She bent down to nip off a wing, and gently nosed it at his paws. “Take this and treasure it.” She mewed. “Can I add it to my collection of feathers?” Calin could hardly keep in his excitement. Lily nodded. “Anything you want, dear.” Calin sprang over to their nest. He always stuffed colorful bird feathers he'd find while exploring the glade into the crevices. He took the butterfly wing and tucked it into the nest. A cardinal feather tickled his nose, and he stifled a sneeze. He sat back on his haunches. “There! All safe!” He spun around, and turned to explore the forest some more. But as he was scampering across the grass, his mother's flowery scent wreathed around him, and she halted him with a paw. He turned to look at her, confused. His mother was casting wary looks at the darkening sky. “I'm coming with you.” She said. “It's getting late.” Calin breathed a tiny sigh of relief. He thought she was going to say it's time to head back to the nest for the night. Though he loved the warmth, and snuggling with his mother, he also loved the fresh air, and the rich, lush scents in the forest. As he continued on, he was aware of his mother always staying a tail length behind, eyes sharp and ears swiveling back and forth. He felt a glow of admiration. She was ready to protect and love him with all her strength. He wanted to be like that when he grew up. Calin bounded down the slope, sliding halfway down. His mother landed neatly beside him. Calin let out a thrilled squeal, and charged off. Lily followed him with a meow of alarm. “Don't run off too far!” She called worriedly. Calin halted, sniffing at a log covered in lichen. On it was a bright orange feather with a black stripe. He looked up at his mother. “Mama, what type of feather is this?” His mother didn't answer. Her eyes were glittering as she stared into the brush, and her back was arched and bristling. Calin wondered what was making her on edge. Then he smelled cats. His mother said strangers can be dangerous. The undergrowth rustled, and five cats stepped out. They were all wearing golden collars around their necks. Their eyes blazed with hostility. A dark red tabby strode up to them, amber eyes narrowed. “This is Government territory.” She spat, tail swishing low to the ground. “Didn't you scent the markers when you trespassed?” Thinking back on it, Calin thought he smelled a strong reek of cat as he had sprinted down the slope. Lily crouched submissively, eyes round. “I did not realize this was your territory.” She mewed. Her voice was steady, but Calin could see she was trembling. A black tom sneered. “Is that fear scent I smell?” A young silver and white tabby was hiding behind him, staring at Calin curiously. Calin met her gaze, and she looked away. The Government cat’s were growling, flexing their claws and showing their teeth. The gems sparkled on their golden collars, and Calin found himself staring in fascination. He felt teeth sink into his scruff, and his mother lift him into the air and race away. Yowls of triumph and defiance pursued them, and Calin heard paws pounding the earth behind them. His mother ran faster throwing up clawfuls of grass. All around him, the trees and greenery were all a blur, and he could feel wind buffeting his fur and streaming through his whiskers. They finally came to a stop. He was set down on the grass, and his mother took a few seconds to catch her breath. “Okay...I think...we're safe.” She said. Calin shook out his fuzzy silver fur, and yawned. Lily looked at him sympathetically. “Are you tired, love?” She asked. Calin nodded, stretching his small legs. Lily padded over to their nest in the roots of an oak tree, and started kneading the bedding to make it more comfortable. Calin dragged his exhausted paws over and sank into the nest with a content sigh. His mother joined him, her silky fur brushing against his. Purring, he made his way over to the curve of her belly and curled up into a ball, tucking his muzzle beneath his paws and closing his eyes. His mother's tongue lapped his ears rhythmically, and the sounds of the wind rustling through the branches faded away as sleep claimed him.


End file.
